The Wodehouse Effect : Why India Loves Jeeves
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- P.G. Wodehouse continues to be one of the most popular English language writers in India with a readership that spans generations. How and why does his idyllic world and linguistic style cross notions of class and culture? Shashi Tharoor, past president of the Wodehouse Society of St Stephens College, Delhi University, journalist and author Mihir S. Sharma, author Tony Ring and journalist Swapan Dasgupta discuss the enduring mystery of India’s fascination with Wodehouse.
I love anyone who reads and praises Sir PG Wodehouse. Someone said, "he is the man who wrote the most perfect sentences ever written" and I agree without a second though. He is not just a comic genius but a literary genius, perhaps second to none in English literature. He is incomparable and timeless. He was the only one and the last one of his kind. No amount of praise is enough to describe his contribution to the language, wisdom he imparted, and happiness he brought to people. He is the one!
There is also another Indian reference, “If he had been an Indian fakir, accustomed from childhood to curling up on spikes, he could have wished for nothing better, but he was not an Indian fakir accustomed from childhood to curling up on spikes.”
Had an unread Jeeves novel on my shelf for quite a while. Done reading, and ordered a few more Wodehouse books. Perhaps this was the catalyst that I needed. Great panel!
This show deserved a better host.
I agree! In fact, that was the first thing that stuck me when I started watching this... The host seems very insecure and does not appear to have confidence in himself and in talking to an audience.
@@TheHamaadryad I found that his sentences were riddled with fillers.
The host must stop doing a.. a.. a.. It irritates the listener. The rest other things, especially Tharoor, is no doubt wonderful.
Strongly agree!!!!
I find that when I listen to Wodehouse's audiobooks, I tend to immediately start thinking and talking differently as I become more aware of the innate hilariousness of English language. In fact that's the reason I'm listening to them again 20yrs later as I'm currently writing a anime. I first came across Wodehouse as a kid, and I've NEVER forgotten it. In fact I have extremely clear memories of ALL of the stories even twenty years later. THAT'S how impactful as once you read/listen to the Jeeves series you NEVER forget.
instablaster.
What a stupid intellectualisation of PG Wodehouse. We in India read PG Wodehouse because we enjoy reading it and find it entertaining, just like we enjoy reading Harry Potter or watching James Bond movies. There are no sociological reasons for it you fools!
The sheer number of times the host said Mmmm. It sucks 🤷🏽♂️
The world outside Britain finds the whole aristocracy/"gentleman" captivating as it's so completely foreign to us AND plays to our desire and love of fairy tales. Thus Wodehouse plays into classic British stereotypes and allows us to dive into that reality. As to others Britian IS a real life fairy tale, as their monarchs goes out of their way to insure they are viewed this way, thus EVERYONE can love the queen, hence countries like Austrialia and Canada while 100% sovereign still have the queen as their head of state. Furthermore, those who once were under British rule have a innate curiousity to understand them. Thus Wodehouse gives us the best of both worlds. We gain what we believe to be a understanding of what Britain is like, as well as satisfying our desire to make fun of them.
Jasmine Well said. From across the Pond.
We needed Stephen fry to host this ...never mind
Wodehouse to be appreciated requires extraordinary knowledge of the English language as Shashi so aptly points out . His similes come fast and furious. But only read books written in his prime with an English setting
Nothing and no one is more attractive then well read intelligent people!!
Uh uh uh uh…. Maybe look up your reference on your device before uh you make a puplic speech uh uh
swapan and shashi
stephanian saga
Jeeves would've said. "Indeed Sir, the gentlemen on the panel had chosen to allocate a diminished amount of time towards discussing the subject regarding Jeeves. However, Sir, permit me to say that it was certainly a delightful, entertaining, and enlighteningly informative conversation."
So, Swapan Dasgupta and Shashi Tharoor are Wodehouse fans. My regard for them has shot up 50 points higher.
Shashi Tharoor has got it correct. As a member of British library, I can say that Wodehouse was among first five popular writers. And majority fans are average library members, not English literature students or professors.
Rohan Joshi, I could not disagree with you more. A more polished and perfect presenter would not be easy to find, - anywhere. You may care, for the benefit of those mystified by your comment, to elaborate?? Something tells me that you won't be able to find the words. Sumjarnah??
I was homeschooled so I didn't read ANY of the english works like MacBeth etc... However I had absolutely ZERO difficulty in enjoying and relating to Wodehouse as knowledge isn't necessary as their is something enjoyable for those of ANY culture, any country, and age, and any background.
I can relate to this. My exposure to English literature was limited to abridged Dickens when I picked up Wodehouse. Eventually, my knowledge of classics, contemporaries (Plum's), and Scripture vastly increased thanks to reading his books.
Could they NOT find a moderator who does NOT ... uh ..uh ...; uh.... stutter through the introduction ?
It is a great pleasure to watch this here and listen to all comments and the whole discourse. What I feel missing in here is no questions, inquiry , analysis on the way Indians tend to perceive themselves into categories such as who read PGW as superior and that discriminatory power still prevalent abroad among Indian immigrants. Also PGW should to be taken out of that context but to appreciate just for the use of a language to explore psychology of a certain type of men and women wherever in the world. All the characters he brings to life we know so well in our own communities but he articulated it in English language but so relavent to all humanity , that's the beauty of it, I believe. My humble opinion. Nothing more to it , except PGW is a brilliant writer irrespective of his mother tongue,class creed and birth etc😊 Thank you so much. It is interesting to pretend to be unaware or never read PGW when you are among some for fun lol
i don't for a moment believe that Plum would be staggered to hear that he's being taken seriously as a social commentator because his every page reeks of mischievous subversion of arbitrary authority and mockery of the pompous - the principal themes of his humorous plots. He might feign surprise at being taken seriously, but would be secretly delighted that his own covertly revolutionary pamphlets are still doing the rounds, and bless his cotton socks for it!
1:00:55 extremist tries to shoehorn in her lefty politics.......Wodehouse is a great writer, regardless of race. If you have an Indian writer of comedy in mind who's just as good or better, name them so that people can go give their books a try, don't make some lame generic point about colonizers' books.
India loves Empress of Blandings.
One more ehm, please
PG Wodehouse the performing Flea of English literature.
I counted twenty five "um's" in the first sixty seconds. I'm done.
Exceedingly irritating, I agree.
The "decolonising" question was insolently uneducated.
Wonderful! I have always been amazed by the amount of people I have spoken to online about Plum who hail from the Indian subcontinent. That said, there ahve been some great English language writers from that part of the world.
I agree with Shashi - as a speaker of english, the love of language and how PGW applies it was half the joy, and the other half as an American, which I imagine would be especially shared by Indians, is the irreverence towards the British, particularly the once world dominating British upper class, which is mercilessly lampooned. PGW pulls this off without any sense of ugliness or venom.
Now we know why Shashi joined congress - because of someone like Bertie, only much less xxx. 😂😂
The chair needs to let others talk. Love Shashi
I've read a plethora of J&W in the last 6 months.
A shame the guy intent on being the turd in the punch bowl here chose not to announce in advance to the organizers of this lovely tribute to the master his intention to smell matters up to the degree to which he does, as every second of the time afforded him represents just so much a kind of taxation on the remaining years of my existence on this earth.
33:00
26:13
Thank you.